Useful resources

The British Columbia Aboriginal Child Care Society [1]The BC Aboriginal Child Care Society (BCACCS) is the only ECEC organization in Canada with a specific focus on Indigenous child care. Although it primarily focuses on British Columbia, its resources are useful more widely. BCACCS has published many resources on different aspects of Indigenous child care, most of which are available in PDF format free of charge on their website. The topics of these publications range from best practices, training and recruitment within the First Nations ECE sector to licensing and curriculum. There are also resource sheets provided offering information on providing traditional foods, inclusion of elders in the program, and what you need to know about multi-age grouping within early childhood development settings.

Assembly of First Nations[5]The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is the national representative organization of the First Nations in Canada. The AFN exists to promote the "restoration and enhancement" of this relationship and to ensure that it is mutually beneficial to the First Nations people. The Assembly of First Nations is a national aboriginal lobby organization.The British Columbia Aboriginal Child Care Society

The BC Aboriginal Child Care Society (BCACCS)[1]BCACCS the only ECEC organization in Canada with a specific focus on Indigenous child care. Although it primarily focuses on British Columbia, its resources are useful more widely. BCACCS has published many resources on different aspects of Indigenous child care, most of which are available in PDF format free of charge on their website. The topics of these publications range from best practices, training and recruitment within the First Nations ECE sector to licensing and curriculum. There are also resource sheets provided offering information on providing traditional foods, inclusion of elders in the program, and what you need to know about multi-age grouping within early childhood development settings.

Congress of Aboriginal Peoples[6]This major national organization represents off-reserve First Nations and Métis people living in urban, rural and remote areas throughout Canada. Website offers information, resources, links and articles about and for Aboriginal Canadians living off reserve.

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami [7]ITK has represented the interests of the Inuit of Canada at the national level since its incorporation in 1972. Working primarily as an advocacy organization, ITK has been actively involved in a wide range of issues some of which have proven to be of critical importance in enabling Inuit to pursue their aspirations and take control of their destinies.

Métis National Council [8]The MNC represents the Métis Nation nationally and internationally. The MNC's central goal is to secure a healthy space for the Métis Nation's on-going existence within the Canadian federation.

Native Women's Association of Canada[9]NWAC seeks to "improve the economic, cultural and political well-being of Aboriginal women in Canada". The site was developed to provide a "valuable tool in the fight to advocate, educate and promote gender issues". Includes links to programs, resources and news.

Pauktuuitit [10]Pauktuutit is the national non-profit association representing all Inuit women in Canada. Its mandate is to foster a greater awareness of the needs of Inuit women, and to encourage their participation in community, regional and national concerns in relation to social, cultural and economic development.

Federal government Indigenous ECEC initiatives

The federal government historically took primary responsibility for social programs for Indigenous Canadians under Canadian constitutional arrangements. As recently as 2010, there were seven federal programs concerned with ECEC, four cross-Canada in nature (including overall education funding) and three province-specific.

The most recent available compiled information on these programs (including federal funding for the years 1999 - 2009) can be found online in Public Investments in ECEC in Canada 2010 (http://www.ecd-elcc.ca/eng/ecd/ececc/page00.shtml[11] - see Federal government section and scroll down).

Aboriginal Head Start on Reserve [12]This website outlines the Health Canada-funded Aboriginal Head Start on Reserve initiative for First Nations. The initiative is designed to "prepare young First Nations children for their school years, by meeting their emotional, social, health, nutritional and psychological needs".

Aboriginal Head Start (AHS) in Urban and Northern Communities [13]This website outlines the Health Canada-funded early childhood development program for off-reserve, Inuit and Métis children and their families. The primary goal of the initiative is to demonstrate that locally controlled and designed early intervention strategies can provide Indigenous children with a positive sense of themselves, a desire for learning, and opportunities to develop fully as successful young people.

First Nations and Inuit Child Care Initiative (FNICCI)[14]The First Nations and Inuit Child Care Initiative (FNICCI) supports First Nations and Inuit communities in developing and implementing child care programs designed to address their local and regional needs. The objective of the initiative is to increase the supply of quality child care services in First Nations and Inuit communities.